Switches used in high voltage circuits are required to be able to maintain the high voltage without current leakage. Therefore, there are physical parameters which must be taken into consideration to maximize the voltage that the switch is able to handle without leaking the current therethrough. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,118, a pulse power thyristor (PPT) semiconductor switching device is disclosed that is designed to control current leakage across the edge thereof by mechanically beveling the edge of the switch to control the leakage. The edge of the PPT switch can be beveled by sandblasting or saw cutting and the beveled edge then smoothed by chemical etching. A polyimide film or other dielectric layer is applied to the bevel to reduce surface leakage.